The Love Dare

Tyler and I are starting the Love Dare tomorrow. It's a 40 day commitment to focus on doing the little things that make our marriage better. I don't believe a book itself will make things better but I think it's necessary to have tools that will help us remember the small things in our relationship that really matter. I think people lack the motivation to save their marriages because they don't truly know the love of God and therefore are not enabled to give their spouse the unconditional love demonstrated by Christ. I have no excuse. I have experienced His love and I'm really encouraged to do whatever it takes to make my marriage what God wants it to be! Here I go!

I'm feeling gushy mushy about him right now. So here's a picture, more for my benefit than anyone else.

Stephanie Needs

I got this idea from another blog. I typed in "Stephanie needs" on Google and here are the things that came up:

1. Stephanie needs some help- Ahem, If you didn't notice already, I'm crazy and weird. So yes, I could use some help.

2. Stephanie died from Ritalin- Interesting...Cole could sure use some!

3. Why Stephanie needs rhinoplasty surgery- Sometimes I hate my nose. Now it's clear to me why.

4. Stephanie needs to come back home- I'm already home. There's nothing better than Ventura, California! I think it's Hillary and Kim who need to come back.

5. Stephanie needs to get a life- Your mom needs to get a life. (Such maturity, I know)

6. Stephanie needs a date for Valentine's Day- I had one. It was fabulous.

7. Stephanie needs a loving home- What, am I a dog?

8. My best friend Stephanie needs help with her crush- We all know I'm married but if I were speaking of anybody it would be Usher. Yowzers.

9. Stephanie needs a sound proofed home to protect her- I need protection from the people who hear the screaming and pulling hair and call child protective services on me.

10. Stephanie needs to get off her high horse!- Heck no I won't! It's where I belong!

Wordless Wednesday II

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday

1. I started doing laundry on Sunday and I still havn't caught up yet.

2. When I asked Kayley about playing with toys in her bed at night she said "boy, I sure learned my lesson on that one. I'm never doing that again!"

3. I put myself through a vigorous leg workout at the gym on Monday.

4. I'm going to watch nine kids at church this morning.

5. I haven't had a weekend without some planned activity for a month.

6. I spent a good two hours alone with Cole yesterday. The kid sure is fun when it's one on one.

7. Tyler let the kids help paint the trailer but didn't inform me it was oil based paint. Apparently that equals black paint all over my kids' hands that will not come off.

8. Cole threw a fit and peed his pants at Trader Joes. I gave him a cookie.

9. I bought an entire box of mints and ate them within two hours.

10. I'm trying so very hard to find a way to put Cole into preschool. It will be my sanity.

California Adventure Pictures

Waiting for a ride

Surfin' Kayley

Surfin' Noah

Fighting fires like they always do

Radiator Springs

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


I went to the gym a few times this week. The first time I had a trainer and I got my butt kicked. I'm still sore till this very moment. That man was unkind and had no mercy. The second time I went I did water aerobics. It was surprisingly easy on my body. I was the youngest person there and I so do not love it enough to go back.

Friday night I headed down to LA for my grandmas 75th birthday party. On the way we stopped at McDonald's to go potty. I had to go really bad and there were no seat covers so what did I do? I hovered. Ten seconds into hovering I realized that my legs were so sore from my training session and they were going to give out on me. My mom absolutely did not hold me to keep me from falling while I finished my business. The moment was so funny and I'll never forget it.

At dinner that night (it was at a fancy country club) we had a five course meal. First we had some sort of tomato soup, then Caesar salad with a real sliver of anchovies (ew!). Then we had a lemony sorbet to cleanse the pallet. The main course was steak with mashed potatoes and veggies. It was all wonderful until I cut my steak and the blood from it did not work its way into my mashed potatoes. I have never seen a more disgusting piece of meat. I tried to eat just the sides because I didn't want to be rude about it but I finally asked them to take it back and cook it more. They brought me a new steak cooked properly and I devoured it. The tasty cake for dessert made up for all wrong done there.

On Saturday Tyler, Kayley, Noah and I went to California Adventure. It was great because it had shorter lines and more shows and rides that the kids really liked than at Disneyland. Cole was at Auntie Jojo's house the whole day. I did not enjoy the day without him. I could tell Kayley enjoyed it too. When we picked Cole up she was so sweet to him, sharing things and being really patient with him. What a sweetie.


Right now I'm not so overwhelmed by Cole the three year old that never stops talking or moving. I'm going to snuggle up on the couch, shed a tear and sleep. Why can't we skip the threes?

Ten On Thursday

I know it's not Tuesday but I'm feeling the urge to update again. So here I go.


1. My body hurts so badly from my workout yesterday I can hardly bend down without groaning.

2. I'm going to do water aerobics at 9am tomorrow morning with Mrs. Kaudse.

3. I've woken up every morning (except one) since Tyler has started working to make his lunch.

4. We're taking Kayley to California Adventure on Saturday and she doesn't know it.

5. My kids are so much better today than they've been since the New Year.

6. I'm watching Noah this afternoon and I'm partly dreading it. I love him but him combined with my kids is a lot of energy!

7. People truly think Katie is my third child and sometimes I don't correct them when they mention it. I tell them "Katie is 1 1/2, Cole is 3 and Kayley is 5." Sometimes it's just more annoying to explain that she's not mine. Is that lying? I don't know.

8. Tyler and I have spent the last three weeks watching at least two episodes of Friends per night.

9. Hillary comes to visit in two days!

10. We made cookies last night and Tyler ate 9, I ate 2.

Wordful Wednesday

Kayley Bug

I love doing this to her hair. I would love to have a baby just to do this. Even if I had a boy. Jk. Not really. Well, maybe. No. Yes. No.

She's not mine, but she's pretty darn cute.

Cole in his crib. Ah, so much time spent in the blessed crib.


Sorry if the pictures are grainy.
I reduced the size so I could upload them faster and now the quality is not as great.

I just realized the descriptions of my kids on the side of my blog sound a bit like personal ads.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


After putting the kids to bed on Friday night I went to Target to do some last minute shopping for Valentine's Day. I'm so on top of things I never wait till the last minute. I made my way to the checkout stand and made pleasant conversation with the cashier. We were talking about the Valentine's section of the store and how so many people wait till the last minute to do their shopping. She most definitely did not refer to Valentine's day as Valentimes day more than once. Really, she was a grown woman and couldn't get it right. I did not try really hard to keep from laughing. I mean, she's not five.

I joined LA Fitness this week. I love the kids play area and I love the gym but I do not love the locker room. I forgot that some women do not find it normal to bare all whilst changing and send me into panic. Come on people, at least turn the other way. There's no need to have conversation while dressing oneself.

Tyler and I had our love day yesterday instead of Saturday. We went for a drive down the 1 and stopped in Malibu for some much needed Coffee Bean. We walked around with our drinks for a bit and saw about ten guys in the street with really nice cameras. I thought to myself "oh, a nice bunch of photography students." Then I realized it was the paparazzi! Someone was inside a hair salon and outside people were taking pictures of her car and waiting for her to come out. I know it was a woman because I saw her hair. For a minute there I was so not excited about who could be in there and if I would be able to see them or meet them. Nope, not me! I would never want people following me around like that. Seriously.

While we were eating dinner on the Santa Monica pier we had a view of the beautiful sunset and some really nice music. Music that I thought was from a sound system the entire time until Tyler pointed out the man right in front of us with a guitar and a microphone. I could never be that oblivious.

Cole has been sick this week. If anyone knows my child they understand that he is such a pill when he's sick. I most definitely, absolutely, positively DID NOT give him a pacifier to suck on in the car to keep him quiet. He's three for goodness sake. Later that day when he asked for it again I did not scold him and say "don't ask me for a pacifier, you're way too old for that!"

Our plans for going to California Adventure today have not totally been ruined by the rain. We're going to the snow instead! Get ready for some great pictures of the kids' first time seeing and playing in snow!

Happy Valentines Day

I layed in bed this morning while Tyler fed the kids and made me some fabulous waffles. He brought me breakfast in bed and orange juice in a princess sippy cup. And he surprised me with this:

It's quaint. It's cute. I love it.


Happy Valentimes Day
(as Kayley says it)

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday

Ok people. It's here again. Check out MckMama's blog for other wild and crazy stories!


This first one is so not too great to pretend that it's something that isn't so amazingly great!

Tyler starts his new job today! It pays really well and we'll finally have some stability. I can truly say that God had this job in mind for Tyler and I'm in awe at how it all came together. What an amazing God we serve. Our crazy ups and downs are not a surprise to Him; He knows even before the madness begins. He meets our needs in His timing, not ours (although I wish it were mine). I thank Him that Tyler got a job that's exactly what we need to pay our bills!

And for that, a large and perhaps annoying sign of happiness is in order.


YIPEEEEEEEE!


Ok, on to the other stuff.

At Eggs and Things on Saturday morning I most certainly did not lean forward into my kids' pancakes, spilling the entire cup of syrup onto my lap. I did not ask our server for a wet cloth and I most definitely did not use it to wipe off my shirt, butt, crotch and thighs in the middle of the isle at the restaurant. What's more, I didn't feel the stick, unstick, stick, unstick of the syrup from my bottom to my jeans repeatedly till I made it to the car. Surely my brightest moment of the day.

Katie and her grandparents were so not there in the booth next to us. Katie kept looking at us and giggling and saying "hi" "hi" (which actually sounds more like "i"). There were times when I felt I should discipline her for being loud and annoying but then I remembered I'm not actually her mom. Ha!

I braved the thrift store this weekend. I've found great bargains before and I knew if my heart was in it I could do it again. And so I did. I found three great skirts: a black and grey one, a white one with pink flowers and a pink one with white stripes (Old Navy!). And I only paid ten dollars for all three! Although a feeling of accomplishment was great after reviewing my priceless finds, the urge to wash my hands was so not greater.

Why the skirts you ask? I'm not sure if I mentioned it ever on my blog (that so many people read) but I totally joined the choir. I'm a soprano singing angel. We all know skirts are a part of my every day wardrobe and I'd rather wear one with a cute top than a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and my flip flops. Anyway, I think I look silly in them but it's the rules. Hence my shopping trip to the thrift store. I refuse to pay more than four dollars for something I'll wear once every six weeks. Don't judge me.

I'm so not sitting here eating Valentine's Day candy that's supposed to be for my kids. I have way more self-control than that.

Tyler and I rented a movie. I don't ever rent R movies but I heard it was good so I thought I would give it a try. This movie is perhaps one of the worst movies ever and a total waste of time. If I were you, I would totally go out and rent Burn After Reading. I don't care how attractive Brad Pitt is, the movie stinks.

This week we started using vinegar as discipline for naughty words or back talk. I must admit, I do not enjoy watching the gagging/coughing/spitting reflex that my children experience. Does that make me a bad mom? I hate to do that to them but the faces they make are something to giggle at.




And there you have it. Maybe you should create a blog and join me for the next Not Me! Monday!!

Cake

For those of you who remember my cake eating day, here's the tasty treat I consumed:

Not much to look at but certainly wonderful.

Fabulously Fantastic Friday

TYLER GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Kayley's Pictures

Not Me! Monday

This week has been full of things I didn't do. If you want to check out all the things other people didn't do this week, check out MckMamas blog.

This week Cole has been especially naughty. It seems he can withstand numerous spoon wallopings (in one day) and not give a rip about obeying or even thinking about obeying. I did not lose my patience with him many a time this week. In a desperate effort to regain control of my three year old I did not take away all the toys he got for his birthday plus his new Cars sheets and comforter.

I'm such a discipline genius. It was clear that taking away his beloved toys and blankets worked, especially when I did not carry Cole kicking and screaming out of Target yesterday. Mama said no chocolate milk and all hell broke loose. I was a little embarrassed but it really hit home for Cole. I have learned that food/drinks for Cole are pretty much the most important things to him (go figure) so I pretty much hit home. 9:30am today will be 24 hours since the Target tantrum and I must might think about putting those sheets back on his bed, mostly because I hate that they're wadded up in a corner of my room.

I spent the afternoon yesterday not watching the Superbowl. Instead I spend some time looking at two gyms. I really like one called Le Mirage. It's a women only gym and it's really nice. I'm going for a free 7 day trial this week. After discussing gym options, Tyler and I most definitely did not make five tiny loaf size funfetti cakes and eat them like bread straight from the oven. Nope, not us! It's pretty clear why I need a membership!

I finally picked a school of choice for Kayley this week. I picked Mound. It's just a hop, skip and a jump over the walking bridge by our house so if she does get in it will be really close for us. When I went to Portola school to fill out the form I totally did not feel out of my element, perhaps a little nervous about what's to come. That's just silly though, I'm fearless and take change in stride.